Hebrew word · H4050

מְגֵרָה

uvamegerot

saw

A saw, from a root meaning 'to drag, saw'. Used of cutting stone.

Appears 4 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

saw (for stone cutting)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 2 Samuel 12:31

Range of meaning

A saw, from a root meaning 'to drag, saw'. Used of cutting stone.

Against the English

All versions say 'saw(s)'. The question is whether the people work the saws or the saws are used on the people.

Used elsewhere in the period

1 Kings 7:9 describes Solomon's costly stones 'sawn with saws' (מְגֹרָרוֹת בַּמְּגֵרָה), building-site equipment. 1 Chronicles 20:3 repeats 'saws' where Samuel has 'axes'. Isaiah 10:15 uses a related word (מַשּׂוֹר) for a saw as an ordinary tool.

Where it appears

2 Samuel · 1

  1. 2 Samuel 12:31 בַּ֠מְּגֵרָה at the saws

    David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.

    Here: A saw. The singular stands for saws in general. Elsewhere it is used of the stone saws that cut blocks for Solomon's buildings (1 Kings 7:9), a construction tool.

1 Kings · 1

  1. 1 Kings 7:9 בַּמְּגֵרָ֖ה with <the> saw

    All these buildings were constructed with costly stones, cut to size and trimmed with saws inside and out from the foundation to the eaves, and from the outside to the great courtyard.

1 Chronicles · 2

  1. 1 Chronicles 20:3 בַּמְּגֵרָ֜ה וּבַמְּגֵר֔וֹת with <the> saw, and with <the> saws

    David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. And he did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.